Page 2 of Behind the Bench

Two weeks ago, my dream finally came true.

I am officially the second-ever female assistant coach in the NHL.

It all happened so fast. One day I was lacing up my skates, ready to take the ice as the skills coach of the Denver Eagles NHL team, and the next day I was on a plane heading to an interview in Wisconsin.

The Green Bay Bobcats had to replace their entire coaching and training staff after a brutal hazing scandal. It turns out the rookies were being put through some god-awful hazing rituals and the entire staff turned a blind eye.

“It’s just rookie fun” is what one of the coaches was quoted saying.

Yeah, well, now the entire coaching and training staff is facing criminal charges after one of the rookies ended up in the hospital.

The thought of it all makes me sick to my stomach. As a coach, it’s my job to protect these players with everything I have. Yeah, they are hockey players doing a job, but they’re people first. And now they’re my people.

Damn. I still can’t believe I’m going to be an assistant coach in the NHL. The promotion from skills coach to assistant coach is huge. Instead of only working with the team periodically behind the scenes, I’ll be with them every day,making important decisions, and standing with them behind the bench on game day. What a freaking dream.

I’ve worked my ass off to get to where I am now. After graduating and winning a national championship with Boston University, I went on to play professionally for Montreal in the PWHL. Not only was I captain in Montreal, but I also won an Olympic gold medal playing for Team USA when I was twenty-three.

After two years playing professionally, it felt like something was missing. The PWHL is still growing and it was amazing to have that opportunity, but I still wantedmore.That’s when I discovered coaching. As an education major, coaching is the best of both worlds. It meshes hockey and teaching together, and it fills the empty void in my heart.

I spent two years coaching college hockey and ran multiple clinics over the summers for both men and women. Coaching quickly became my life and new passion. I set new goals and nothing was going to stand in my way from achieving them. I was running a clinic with a couple of guys from the NHL when my former college coach, Jim Ford, walked into the rink. He was hired by the Denver Eagles, and he offered me a job as a skills coach on the spot. I spent three glorious years in Denver when news hit of the scandal in Green Bay. Immediately, I went to Jim and told him I wanted the job and asked if he’d put in a good word for me.

The next day, I was lacing up my skates after one of the team practices to get a skate in when Jim sat down next to me. I’ll never forget what he said.

“After you skate, pack a bag. They want to see you in Green Bay tomorrow. Go make me proud, Ellie.”

I flew out to Wisconsin the next day and met with the Bobcats’ general manager, Jerry, for an interview. I don’t get intimidated often, but Jerry is an intimidating man. He’s about six-foot-five, bald, and built like a football player. We shook hands and got right down to business.

He made it abundantly clear that his priority is his players and he’s looking for coaches who put their well-being first. We spoke for over an hour about not just my playing and coaching history, but also about my coaching philosophy. If your players can’t trust you as a coach, that uncertainty will translate onto the ice. I explained to him that the team should be like a family. I’ll have their backs on and off the ice.

Jerry had wonderful things to say about my time in Denver, and he let me know my name had been on his radar for the past year. It was a nice reminder that it’s all worth it. All the hard work. All the blood, sweat, and tears. All the terrible things I've had to read written about me as a female coach in men’s hockey. All of it got me to where I am today.

Two days later, he called to let me know I had the job. When I asked about the other coaches on staff, he told me I was his first call and he still had a couple of tough decisions to make for the rest of the staff. They still haven’t made an official announcement about who was hired so I am dying to meet the rest of my team.

Remembering that phone call has me rolling over to look at the clock on my nightstand.

“Shit.”

I have to be at the rink in a little over an hour to meet with Jerry and the rest of the coaches. Not wanting to leave the heaven that is this bed, I groan into the comforter before forcing myself to unpack my things.

As soon as I’m finished, I take a quick shower to wash the flight off me. I’m deciding what to wear when my phone rings on the kitchen counter, signifying a video call. Reaching behind me, I grab it and immediately smile when I see who is calling.

I swipe across the screen and am met with a gorgeous smile from my best friend when Sadie’s face fills the screen.

“You forgot to call me when you landed.”

Propping my phone up against the coffee maker, I grabthe white blouse hanging in my closet and come back to the screen. “I know, I’m sorry. My phone died on the plane. I was listening to that new audiobook you recommended and it sucked all the juice out of my battery.”

I put the blouse on over my camisole and start buttoning it up while Sadie talks.

“Oh my god, isn’t the full cast amazing? I think I’m going to listen again tomorrow.” She takes a sip of her green smoothie and looks back at the phone. “Are you nervous to meet the rest of the coaches?”

Grabbing my phone, I head out of the kitchen and flop down into the chair at the desk. Curious brown eyes stare back at me once I get the phone back in front of my face.

“I’m a little nervous. I’m also excited. I think I’m maybe a tiny bit scared too. There’s a plethora of emotions happening right now…I’m not entirely sure how to feel.”

Sadie nods along as I explain how I’m feeling. “You know a quick meditation would do wonders for you right now.”

I look over at the clock on the nightstand again and realize I have to leave in a few minutes. “I’m sure it would, Sadie, but I need to get going to the rink for my meeting.”

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